Tech Mahindra, Pininfarina pitch for 6-8 projects globally

NEW DELHI: Homegrown diversified group Mahindra and its newly-acquired Italian design firm Pininfarina are pitching for six to eight projects globally across different industrial sectors to offer design and business solutions.

After the acquisition of 76.06 per cent stake in Pininfarina in December last year for nearly Rs 370 crore, Mahindra Group's IT arm Tech Mahindra and the Turin-based firm are now looking to leverage each other's strength to offer complete business solutions to potential clients.

"There are about 6-8 conversations that are at fairly significant discussions across the world that we are doing today jointly with Pininfarina," Tech Mahindra Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Jagdish Mitra told PTI.

He said these discussions cut across transportation sector, including automobiles, and outside of it such as FMCG product companies.

When asked about the size of the projects, Mitra said it is difficult to put a number to it as it would depend on what role the two firms play in the overall scheme of things of the potential clients.

"More than the number, it is important to see at what level we will play. Where does the customer put us in his category of vendors and partners, whether it is strategic, whether it is practical? Is it someone you use for volume or someone who use for cost? Where do we fit into the scheme?" he said.

Commenting on what Pininfarina brings on the table, company CEO Silvio Pietro Angori said: "Yes, we are known for designing Ferraris and Maseratis but we don't just do that for a living. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to live because that's too small. We do much more than that."

He said the company has a strong presence in industrial products with over 400 unique items on its list.

"These days where there is a need for distinctiveness in the market, customers want product unique to their taste, we design unique products. This doesn't mean these are luxurious, but they are distinctive. This is where we offer our customers a customer experience...This is where we come into play of Tech Mahindra," Angori added.

Elaborating on how acquisition of Pininfarina has changed the scope for Tech Mahindra, Mitra said: "For us the opportunity is really about upping the game. From our side being an IT software solutions company, providing technology solutions, now we are talking about offering business solutions.

"What Pininfarina allows us to do is to start conversation at products level and in the conceptualisation stage rather than when everything has been designed, which is where typically IT guys come in."

Mahindra group's automotive division has been a client for Pininfarina even before the acquisition.

When asked how soon there could be a new Mahindra vehicle with Pininfarina design, Angori didn't share a clear timeline but said a "typical cycle for (development of) a product in automotive industry is 26-40 months."